Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Disability author angry over association with Me Before You movie.

Alex SchadenbergExecutive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

EW News reported that Francesco Clark, an ambassador for the Christopher and Dana Reeves Foundation and an entrepreneur who founded a skincare line for people with disabilities, is angry that his memoir, Walking Papers, is referenced in the film Me Before You.

Walking Papers tells the story of Clark's life after he experienced an accident in his early 20's that resulting in him living with quadriplegia.

“I’ve worked tirelessly to show people that being quadriplegic isn’t the end of your life, it’s another beginning,”

“While I am by no means taking a stance on the issue of assisted suicide, I feel compelled to express that I am angry to be unwittingly associated with a storyline that suggests the only option for those who sustain injuries like mine is death.”

Francesco Clark

Clark distanced himself from the movie:

“I had no involvement in the making of this movie, and am in fact saddened by the association,”

“I will continue to spread a message of positivity and hope for those who have experienced spinal cord injuries, either directly or as a loved one. I am a prime example, along with many others, that life does not just ‘go on,’ it gets better and better with each day.”

1 comment:

Goes to show you that there is no neutral ground in this struggle, and that silence is presumed consent. On the other hand, voicing your opinion is *dissent* so anyone who speaks out is now branded as the 'enemy'. Again, no neutral ground. It's also easier to assume those who are silent are for you, and act accordingly, than otherwise. I do not anticipate dying a natural death after this date in Canada.